THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The ‘deserted’ condition of the 12-storeyed commercial complex at the Central Bus Station, Thampanoor, came up in the Assembly on Thursday with Transport Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan blaming high security deposit and rise of online trading for the continued unpopularity of the building with traders.
Although the building and bus station were inaugurated more than a year ago, only five per cent of the space in the 24,984 sq m building has been taken on rent so far, he said in a written reply to the Assembly on Thursday.
Replying to questions by Left MLAs, the Minister cited two reasons for the building’s lack of attraction for traders; one, traders are reluctant to pay the required security deposit, and, two, the growing popularity of online trading.
In a bid to attract traders, the government is toying with the idea of reducing the rent by ten per cent and auctioning off the space. The government is also exploring the possibility of reducing the security deposit by 12 to 24 times the monthly rent which will be fixed through the auction, Radhakrishnan said.
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy had inaugurated the Central Bus Station and complex, a hyped joint venture of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and the Kerala Transport Development and Finance Corporation (KTDFC) at Thampanoor on February 3, 2014. Work on the project had started in March 2010.
Thampanoor was one of four BOT works undertaken by the KSRTC among the 59 projects for building shopping complexes at KSRTC bus depots across the state to bring in revenue. The work at Kattakkada in the district has been completed, and the work at Nedumangad and Neyyattinkara will be completed soon.